Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The deadly measles is spreading its tentacles as four new cases were reported on Friday. With this, the total number of measles cases in the city increased to 53 while the cases of rubella remained at 2.
The new patients were found in four new areas of the district including Indira Ekta Nagar, Alapura, Samrat Nagar, and Chandan Nagar.
As more samples have been sent for testing, officials are apprehensive of a few of them returning positive.
“As many as four new patients in the age group of three year to nine years were found positive of measles. These patients were from Indira Ekta Nagar, Alapura,Samrat Nagar and Chandan Nagar,” District Immunization Officer, DrTarun Gupta said.
He said that most of these patients were recovering well and none of them was fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the health department officials have launched a special immunization campaign-Outbreak Response Immunization—in six of the wards of the district and targeting to vaccinate about 30,000 children in these wards in next coming days.
As many as 300 sessions will be organised to immunize the children from 9-months to 10-years with the precautionary dose to provide extra immunity against the disease.
6,119 children vaccinated
The health department has set up vaccination camps through which they have inoculated 6,119 children in the last 3 days during the outbreak response immunization. District Immunization Officer Dr Tarun Gupta said that 3,536 children were vaccinated on the first day on Monday. After this, 2583 children have been vaccinated on the second day on Thursday. Now vaccination will be done on Saturday. More than 30,000 children will be provided security through the campaign.
Effective measures to prevent measles
Under the campaign, children in the age group of nine months to 10 years are being given additional doses in Ward No. 2, 38, 39, 52, 53, and 61. Gupta said that the symptoms of measles are high fever with a waterless red rash, cold, and cough. On the other hand, the School Education Department asked children to stay at home during the examination in case of fever and take their examination later. This is a protective step. Measles is an infectious disease. During fever, children should be kept away from other people and they should be given nutritious food and a sufficient amount of water when suffering from fever.
